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Keeping kids safe online is a constant battle for parents. The internet can be a fantastic source of education and entertainment, so we want our children to benefit from that. But it can also be a potential source of danger and risk.
Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to protect them, from using online parental control apps to provide internet safety for your children, to having the right communication with your kids.
10 Best Tips for How To Keep a Child Safe Online
Here are 10 top tips for keeping your kids safe online in this digital-age world.
1. Keep a Child Safe Online by Communicating with your child
Be sure to discuss with your child what they are doing on the internet. Keep a line of open communication. Aiden and I always discuss what he’s watching or who he’s talking to online.
Relate the online world to the real world. Give your kid examples that help them understand the dangers of the internet in the same way you would the physical world. Don’t forget to share the positives too so you can balance it all out.
2. Set rules about what your child can do online
Set rules and make sure your kid understands what they are and why. As your child grows, be prepared to adjust the rules – tighten them if necessary or relax them if your kid shows they are able to be responsible and can be trusted.
Your rules could be in terms of time spent on certain activities, which sites they’re allowed to visit, and even what kinds of clothes they can wear when they’re online.
Keep in mind though that they will eventually have access to the internet outside the home, so helping them understand why there are rules is really important.
3. Restrict online use to the same room that you’re in
If you really don’t trust your kid to follow the rules, have them play in the same space as you are, not in the privacy of their own bedroom.
Create a play area in a corner of the living room, where it will be harder for them to hide what they’re watching or who they’re communicating with online.
Thankfully, Aiden and I have an open communication so we haven’t had any issues with this.
4. Be alert to your child’s reactions
If you see that your kid seems upset or secretive when online, address it immediately.
Encourage open conversation so that they feel comfortable enough with you that they can tell you what they are doing online and also know that you have their back.
If they think they are going to get in trouble they’re less likely to be honest with you.
5. Keep a Child Safe Online by Protecting your kids from cyberbullying
It is important to help your children understand that kind, respectful or helpful interactions online can be valuable experiences, but if someone is being mean, nasty or critical, it is not healthy.
This is where the Pledge Planets game comes in real handy. Pledge Planets is a new game available on the Messenger Kids App that helps teach kids how to be safer online through fun and interactive activities. Aiden and I recently played it together and loved it!
What I love the most about it is the part of the game that is teaching him how to be kind and how to respond to cyberbullying which is so important given how much time he spends online.
Again, just as in the real world, you can discuss the signs of bullying and relate them to cyberbullying and incorporate playing the Pledge Planets game as well.
6. Use technology to Keep a Child Safe Online
Make use of technology to ensure your kid’s online experience is positive.
Is your child’s device running the latest antivirus software? Is it installed with a webcam that can be covered if necessary? Make use of parental control apps like safe search to put limitations in place. Many ISPs (your internet service provider) also provide tools for parental control.
Use and app-blocking software to restrict your child’s use of the internet to only your chosen sites, if necessary. If you want to give them more freedom than that, but be able to check what they’re doing, install monitoring and tracking parental control software.
I make sure to check Aiden’s tablet often to ensure that his device is protected at all times.
7. Spend time with your kids when they’re online
Take an interest in the things that interest your kid. Talk to them about their online activities, be engaging in the questions you ask. Sit with them during their online sessions sometimes and use that as an opportunity to teach them what is healthy and what is wrong with some of the things they’ll see online.
The internet is full of advertising, for example – help them learn to recognize things they are better off avoiding.
Talking to your kids about what they are doing online is a great bonding experience. As soon as I ask Aiden what he is doing online, he gets excited and starts to talk about it non-stop. This also helps our parent-child relationship.
8. Kids and cell phones
If you decide that you want to give your child a cell phone, make sure to install parental control apps if necessary, and make sure to restrict the apps they have access to.
As you know we travel full time, so we got Aiden a cell phone so that he can use it to communicate with family and friends. He loves using the Messenger Kids app to video chat with his friends and approved family members as well.
If you don’t want your kid using a phone, or to have access to a cell phone, make sure that your own phone has security on it so it can’t be played with.
9. Teenagers and the internet
The older your kid gets, the harder it will be to monitor what they do online, especially if they have a smartphone.
Social media can be a great place for people – kids and adults alike – to socialise. However, it can also be potentially harmful if your children do not know how to properly use it or know how to properly handle potential harmful interactions.
It’s normal for older kids to want to have more privacy as they get older. Discuss the various risks with your child. Help them understand how to properly interact with people online.
Explain how pictures and words on the internet are ‘forever’: a comment or selfie they post now will still be searchable in 10 years time when they’re looking for a job. Would they want a future employer seeing that, for instance?
10. Keep a Child Safe Online- Know About Online addiction
Are you worried about your kid’s apparent ‘need’ to spend time online?
Online addiction is about the compulsive dependency on online activities. It can include any kind of online activity, from playing games to spending time on social media.
Many parents are concerned about screen time – whether on TV or the internet. Try encouraging your child to spend time with the family doing non-screen activities. What else are they interested in?
Try restricting online time and making it available only after other things have been completed.
Overall Thoughts On How to Keep a Child Safe Online
It is important to teach your children the tools they’ll need to properly navigate the internet.
Be observant about any changes in behaviour or emotional responses in case your child isn’t talking about an experience they’re going through.
Overall, it is key to have good communication and a good relationship that values honesty and trust with your kids and I hope that these 10 tips have given you some insight on how to do so.
This blog post is sponsored by Messenger Kids, however as always, all opinions are my own.
